Detachable watertight connection between a lighting fixture top part and plastic shade



Dec. 26, 1967 o. LILLEBOSTAD DETACHABLE WATERTIGHT CONNECTION BETWEEN A LIGHTING- FIXTURE TOP PART AND PLASTIC SHADE Filed June 30, 1965 FIG/ United States Patent 3,360,644 DETACHABLE WATERTIGHT CONNECTION BE- TWEEN A LIGHTING FIXTURE TOP PART AND PLASTIC SHADE Ottar Lillebostad, Kviltorp, Molde, Norway Filed June 30, 1965, Ser. No. 468,538 1 Claim. (Cl. 240-112) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A container having first and second elongated generally trough shape members, inverted with respect to each other and connected together adjacent their edges by a U-shaped clamp. The first member has a substantially U-shaped channel formed adjacent each edge thereof, with a resilient strip disposed therein and extending the entire length of the container. The above-mentioned clamp extends for the entire length of said member and engages the first member adjacent the channel and the second member adjacent a protuberance formed adjacent each edge thereof, so that a continuous seal is established between the members for the length thereof.

The present invention relates to a detachable watertight connection between a lighting fixture top part and plastic shade.

By watertight lighting fixtures it has so far been a problem to obtain a reliable scaling in a construction at an acceptable price. Numerous various embodiments have been proposed for the solution of this problem by using screws or toggle mechanisms in order to obtain the necessary sealing pressure between the plastic shade and the packing in the fixture. Such proposed embodiments are, however, in fixtures with greater length dependent on a great number of screws or locking devices or a condition must be that the shade is of a rigid and solid material constructed as a reinforced shade with a solid frame. Such designs result in a costly and complicated device.

Consequently the purpose of the present invention is to provide a detachable watertight connection between a lighting fixture top and a plastic shade in a design which is very simple and may be produced at low cost and at the same time provide reliable sealing and easy handling. According to the invention such a connection is characterized by a longitudinal clamp having a U-formed crosssec-tion extending throughout the whole length of the fixture, said clamp detachably connecting the plastic shade to the fixture top through an interposed tightening sealing. A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises the feature that the clamp is designed such that it may easily be revolved about its longitudinal axis for easier mounting and detaching respectively of fixtures having greater length and the device is preferably designed such that the clamp is pivotably secured to the fixture top through hinge means and the plastic shade is formed in such a way that the edge of the clamp by the locking operation is passing a dead point and is locked immediately inside of same.

A preferred embodiment of the invention as an example only for illustration purposes shall be described in detail with reference to the drawing, where FIG. 1 is a cross-section showing a lighting fixture with a plastic shade utilizing the tightening sealing according to the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a perspective showing a fixture according to the invention.

In the drawing is shown a lighting fixture comprising a fixture top part 1, to which has been detachably secured a plastic shade 2 through a tightening sealing 3 by means of a clamp 4 having a U-formed cross-section and said clamp being pivotably secured to the fixture top with hinge means. Said hinge means 5 may preferably have such a construction that a sheet formed part extending throughout the whole length of the fixture is provided with stamped flaps or similar means adapted to fit into accordingly arranged openings equally spaced in the upper part of the clamp 4-. The U-formed clamp 4 is extended throughout the whole length of the fixture and is not limited by the length. In case of greater widths the same arrangement may also be used at the end of the fixture.

The U-forrned clamp 4 is constructed in such a way that it easily may be revolved with a torsion action, which enables an easy mounting and detaching of the plastic shade as this operation may be started at one of the fixtures end and carried out continuously along the whole length of the fixture.

The locking of the clamp 4 itself is attained by forming the plastic shade 2 in such a way that the lower edge a of the clamp 4 during the locking action is passing a dead point b on the plastic shade 2 and is locked immediately inside of this point b.

The tightening sealing 3 has been arranged in a groove formed by the production of the fixture top at the lower part of same and extending around the whole circumference of the fixture top in a per se known way.

Bythe arrangement according to the invention it is possible to use a relatively thin and thus less costly shade material and still obtain a reliable sealing.

I claim:

A container for a light source comprising first and second elongated generally trough-shaped members, at least one of which is of a light transmitting material, said first member having a substantially U-shaped channel formed adjacent the edge thereof and extending outwardly therefrom, a resilient strip clamped in said channel and extending the entire length thereof, said second member having an outwardly extending protuberance formed adjacent the edge thereof, said members being inverted with respect to each other with the edge of said first member engaging the inner surface of said second member and the edge of said second member engaging said strip, at least one rigid clamp having a substantially U-shaped cross section corresponding to the outwardly extending portions of said channel and said protuberance, hinge means fixed to one of said members for pivotally mounting said clamp with respect thereto, said clamp extending the entire length of said members and adapted to extend over the outwardly extending portions of said channel and said protuberance to detachably sealingly connect said members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,797,312 6/ 1957 Fletcher 240-147 3,093,324 6/ 1963 Dobrikin 220-55 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,073,096 1/ 1960 Germany.

581,668 9/1958 Italy. 378,416 7/ 1964 Switzerland.

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner. D. L. JACOBSON, I. F. PETERS, Assistant Examiners. 

